As it becomes increasingly evident that Pete Davidson is dead weight to the “God Is A Woman” majesty of Ariana Grande, it would seem that “fans” ought to spend time, if they must, criticizing her for things like her seemingly very poor taste in men (though, granted, how can that really be helped in the long-standing dating climate of choosing between shit sandwich or shit cereal?). As opposed to, you know, releasing an adorable video of her pet pig, Piggy Smalls (unfortunately shared with Pete Davidson), to the tune of her latest single from Sweetener.
While Grande was merely trying to give her listeners an appetizer of a video before the “real” one (though maybe she only said she’s making a real one after receiving such a backlash for her “laziness”), people were still quick to condemn the sweet meanderings of a piglet navigating the blankets of her bed, while cutely sticking its tongue out in the process of exploring the limited depths of its own curiosity.
That “Breathin'” is a track about coping with anxiety further adds to the animal’s relevance as the sole star of the video as a means for something singular (and adorable) to focus on through the agony of going through a panic attack. But when staring at a creature so innocent, it’s hard to let your hysteria over the state of things get the better of you. So, if you, too, suffer from the same mental plague, listening to “Breathin'” while watching the video along with it could very well be deemed a source of inexpensive therapy.
“You remind me of a time when things weren’t so complicated,” sings Grande at one point as the pig stares back inquisitively at the camera, and yes, this certainly has to be true of Piggy Smalls, an ideal source for somewhat melting away the barrage of traumas that have befallen Grande in a very short span of time, namely the Manchester Arena bombing and the death of her very recent ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller.
It’s also somewhat telling that rather than somehow incorporating Davidson into the video as a means to suggest the he is her calming agent in life, she would opt for the ever chicer emotional support animal to infer how she comes down from the ledge, so to speak. When talking to Jimmy Fallon of how the song came about while recording, Grande stated of her more frequent struggle with anxiety, “It’s the worst feeling in the world. It’s a song about that feeling, I was having lots of [anxiety attacks]. We were in the studio, we were writing, and I was like, ‘Ugh can’t breathe.’ And they were like, ‘We’re going to write this song.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, I still can’t breathe, but we’ll write it.’” So she did, giving those who have endured the indescribable drowning sentiment of enduring an attack of anxiety a listenable mantra that you can also dance to once the storm passes.
What’s more, it could even be said that Piggy Smalls offers ample symbolism in his anchored journey throughout the confines of the bed. For while he might not really be getting anywhere, he at least knows he’s on safe, solid ground. A self-soother through the under the microscope-like sensation of being filmed for an extended period (which is what Grande goes through on a regular basis). Singing, “All I need is to see your face” as a means to calm down, it’s evident there’s no better face for us all than this pure soul as he makes his way to nowhere in particular. Which is rather what we’re all doing while trying to carve out meaning in the process.
So even if you, like Grande’s so-called fans, are unimpressed by the “Breathin'” video, all that can be said is that 1) this is far less offensive than her love for a trashball and 2) this pig goddamn well better never make it to the slaughterhouse. He’s done so much for Grande, and now for us all, should we choose to let him into our lives without the judgment of saying Grande could have made a better music video that is likely too experimental to find favor with the generally overly literal pop audience.
